The daisy in the snow: The shadow of ice
by Lily of the Void
Summary: One abnormally cold winter night Latvia would be the gate way to a new family and a new life for a young ethereal being. What will happen to the new kid when Russia finds out about what his little territory has found? OC x World. This is promised to be a very feels filled story. Please R&R. Rated M for future chapters
1. Prologue

Prologue

_Death is easy._  
_Death is painful._  
_Death is a concept._  
_Death is only a reality to those who accept its existence._  
_But what happens when you simply can't die?_  
_When you've lost everything to the concept you can never hope to accept?_  
_Shall we test it?_

This is what ran through the boy's head as he stared at his mother. Her ivory-skinned arms falling limp at her sides as a hell black liquid flowed from her. Those arms that had given him comfort and affection, that had given him a warm embrace when he was granted his sight. Her night black hair draping across her face, veiling her beautiful, luminous royal purple eyes as she managed a smile.

He was granted his hearing at the same moment by pure chance. Her voice was like a soft breeze as she spoke to her son. "M-m…Ma-…Matv-…ei,… I'm sorry…B-be ….st-str-stro…ngh." The light in her eyes faded as she lost the fight to continue. Her last breath had been an apology for she knew that her son would suffer greatly without her.

The little boy she called "Matvei" was no older than eleven. He had her ivory complexion, hair so white that it put fresh snow to shame, her beautiful royal purple eyes, and the ears and tail of a wolf. He wore a baggy dark blue coat made with rabbit fur, a light purple scarf, and deer leather boots.

The boy bayed for his mother to wake up but, she didn't respond. With tears stinging his eyes and blurring his vision, he knelt beside her and picked her up as best he could to hug her. He sobbed loudly, not paying any attention to his father as he clutched his mother to his chest and sang her a lullaby from his heart.

His singing was cut short as his father stood up and, without warning, clubbed the pup in the side of the head with a yew wood staff, sending the small boy flying into a tree. This made the little boy turn more animal than child. He cried more but his fangs were bared in a choked snarl. "You're nothing but a monster…a demon…a freak of nature." the larger male stated.

This was a very hypocritical thing for his father to say since he got most of his beast-like and magic traits from him but the boy wouldn't know this. The man had long, white hair, gold and blood colored eyes, and a well sculpted body. He was heavily scarred from past fights with various creatures and people.

"It's your fault, you pathetic white devil. She tried to protect you from me and now you've killed her." The little boy shook his head in reply. "His father advanced on him as he spoke, "You're existence drove me to kill the love of my life." He grabbed his son's throat and lifted him up, slamming his head into a tree. The boy was only three feet tall and his father was easily ten feet at least.

"Now you will pay for your crimes against my bloodlines." He growled as his hand shifted into a large paw with claws as long as a small viper, poised to deal a fatal blow. The little boy became almost fully wolf pup then, unable to control his body at such a young age. He lifted his paw-like hand and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ward off the blow.

The next thing he heard was the man screaming in surprise, rage, and pain as he dropped him. The pup opened his eyes to see a skeleton engulfed in purple and green flames as it ran around in a panicking fashion. The little boy couldn't believe what he was seeing, but he took his chance and shifted into a complete wolf and sprinted off at the speed of thought.

He was truly alone now. His parents were gone and he had no family outside of them. It would be a long time before he could eat again. Good thing he couldn't die. He wandered around the earth for several centuries, living as other wolves did. Other lone wolves, that is. His body stayed in the physical age of eighteen for longer than he could remember.

He hadn't been in his human form since that fateful day. That is, until one abnormally cold winter night when he met a little nervous blonde that would become his new family.


	2. 1: Saving Grace Is A Taxing Debt

**A/N: Wow. People are actually reading this? I'm surprised. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter. I got a comment about people not understanding what the problem was with Matvei's father. That shall be explained later in the story so please be patient. Please rate and review it's greatly appreciated. On to the story!** - lily of the void

1: Saving Grace Is A Taxing Debt

_So cold._  
_So weak._  
_No kindness is shown._  
_Just malice; brutality._  
_Every ill-fated rogue with a crippled heart and hopeless gaze_  
_is a pariah chasing phantoms of long-ago._

'Long dead.' He commented in his head, a frostbitten, lethargically harsh tone staining his mental voice as he wandered through the blacked out town. It was a stormy, cold night and the snow was deep. The white male trotted through the streets looking for shelter from this blizzard. He went from door to door but had no such luck.

He felt the snow clinging to his fur starting to melt. He was growing tired of this damn weather because, the adaptations his body slowly made were the equivalent of having battery acid and hot tar poured over your body, as you were slowly begin sealed in a red hot iron maiden. He could feel the adaptation to the cold starting and began to move a bit faster. He had run into the higher class area and, upon his arrival, spotted a small garden shed surrounded by towering skeletons of snow covered vegetation.

He didn't even bother to keep up his "normal husky" act that he displayed day in and day out. Or reading the name of the estate the shed was on. In an act of desperation, he cleared the cast iron fence that surrounded the property and ran into the shed. He panted heavily as he collapsed inside the safety of the shed. It wasn't any better really but at least hypothermia was no longer a threat.

He shifted into his humanoid form as the adaptation process began. His body was part wolf, part man, and part dragon as it writhed. He began to roar like a demon at the darkness that accompanied him in the small shelter. His muscular, lean, nine foot long figure writhed and convulsed in tremors of scalding pain. Heat flooded through his frame and caused the melted snow to revert to steam as his body instinctively tried to avoid the pain. His very flesh tried to run from it. The phenomenon looked as if he had vipers just underneath his flawless porcelain skin for it's impossible to outrun your own body, though it still tried.

After hours of maddening pain and a high fever of one hundred twenty degrees, the rundown and beat-up immortal being lay motionless on the shed floor, losing consciousness. He'd given himself several deep wounds causing a steaming, nightmare black fluid to flood down and form a puddle. The irresistibly sweet scent of his blood alone was enough to lull the silvery immortal's anesthetized, frantic mind to a submissive peacefulness, his body shifting into his human form as his muscles convulsed. The last thing he remembered before finally succumbing to the black velvet mist that serenaded for his company was seeing a small figure surrounded by snow-hindered sunflowers, holding a kerosene lantern, opening the door and frightened yet childlike blue eyes.

*~/~/~* *~/~/~* *~/~/~* *~/~/~*

When he came to, he found himself resting in a pile of throw blankets next to a queen sized bed. There wasn't much in the room, really; a nightstand, an area rug, a bed, a chair, and a lamp but, nothing more. 'A residence? …I'm inside?' He sat up, "Ugh…"he grunted as he held his head. 'My head is pulsating.' It was no surprise to have his throat hurt from shattering the snow's silence with his deafening howls of suffering. In fact, his entire body was wrapped in a dull throbbing.

He looked at his arms and, to his surprise, found that he was bandaged and clothed. 'That was very kind of them.' He thought to himself as he looked at them in wonder. He was surprised to find himself dressed in something that wasn't ridiculously small. The white long sleeve shirt was tight over his broad shoulders and the sleeves stopped mid-forearm. The brown pants he'd been dressed in were a bit short but once he'd pulled them down far enough to hang off his hips they were almost the right size. His lengthy, frost-colored hair had been brushed so it came to rest on the center of his back.

"Impressive. Someone in this world is almost my size." he mused to himself aloud. Though, Matvei hated clothes but the gesture was kind and was much appreciated. "I should probably leave before I over stay my welcome." he said, conversing with himself again as he thought out loud. As he went to stand up, he heard footsteps approaching the room, soon followed by a shadow. He watched it as it came closer to reveal a young, sheepish blonde boy that was staring at the tray he held. He didn't seem any older than sixteen. Matvei caught a glimpse of his eyes and instantly went still. 'Azure.' The tray was filled with food; bread, an apple, sorrel soup, and tea.

It was obvious to Matvei that the boy hadn't noticed him at first for once he set the tray on the nightstand and turn around; he almost jumped into the tray."Oh! Y-you're a-awake." he stuttered as he started trembling, a hint of fear in his voice. The boy cleared his throat and looked Matvei in the eye. "Are y-you alr-right? Y-you should r-rest."Matvei had no expression on his face as he tried to figure out what was wrong with the shorter male.

He simply stared at the little trembling blonde for what seemed like years; his calm, ice-glazed, violet eyes burrowing into the nervous, innocent azure as the larger male accessed the situation. "I'll be fine." he said a civil tone in his accented, baritone voice. His voice wasn't like any other. It was relaxed like waves breaking on the shore in the early morning and held an archaic wisdom that even the oldest god could not pull off.

His voice seemed to calm the little blonde some for he stopped shaking as much. "I b-br-brought you t-this." the younger male said, gesturing to the food. Matvei was famished but he denied himself the luxury of display mortal wants. He could feel an odd aura around the estate that he hadn't noticed before and he didn't trust it. "Perhaps you can tell me where I am and who you are?"He asked, having a seat so as not to alarm the boy anymore than need be.

The blonde cleared his throat before speaking. "M-my name i-is Raivis G-Galante. I'm t-the p-personific-cation of L-Latvia." he told him. Matvei was convinced that this kid had a speech impediment but was silent as the blonde continued. "You're in the home of I-Ivan Brag-ginski a-also k-known as t-the p-personific-cation of R-Rus-Russia."

"Raivis." he repeated as he tested it on his tongue. "We're you the one who brought me here?"he asked as the boy handed him the bowl of soup. "Y-yes, sir. M-my brothers and I b-brought to y-you inside." Matvei warily drained the soup, paying no mind to the soup spoon. "Is there any particular reason as to why you wished to illustrate such humanity?"he asked him as the Latvian offered him the bread, which he humbly accepted. "It's not in your kind's character or customs to be so charitable without expectance of compensation so what is it you desire from me?"

Matvei had always been aware of the so called personifications and he, in no way, trusted them. 'They are nymphs that reflect the insignia of humankind and the land they are tied to.' he contemplated to himself. 'Low level enemies that hold too much power…I should play nice so as not to tip the scales.' Raivis looked at the snow white, porcelain male in bewilderment, raising his hands in defense. "Oh, n-no, Nothing l-like that. W-we just thought t-that it'd be best we helped y-you rather than M-Mr. I-Ivan find you and d-do god knows what with y-you."

Matvei's gaze became indistinctly enthralled. "Is he aware of my presence?"

Raivis shook his head, his arms falling to his sides.

"…I see…Well, I thank you for the meal. Please fetch your brothers so I may express my gratitude to them as well."

To Matvei's vague astonishment, Raivis did as he requested without question. He grabbed the apple and devoured it, core and all, as he began to reflect and plan his next move. Within the last few centuries, he'd done nothing but collect information on every single civilization, city-state, country, and territory that assumed it could withstand the test of time. Battle strategies, war tactics, religious and spiritual traits, literature, art, music, etc.; it all became part of The Archive.

The Archive was nothing more than a dimension that Matvei had created for lost and destroyed. Not many made the connection but, Matvei wasn't just some demon dog or a cursed man, oh no, that would be too easy. He was the only ethereal being that could not just exist in more than one realm at a time but also had access to the void. He wasn't allied to any true force. In his eyes, both angelic and demonic power was poisonous and corrupted. He was, in fact, impossible to truly understand.

As was the concept of this little boy being so kind to him, he just couldn't understand it. The sound of scampering tore him out of his thoughts and before long Raivis came into the room. Matvei grabbed the tea and sipped it as he stood up in front of him. "M-Mr. I-Ivan sent t-them out. I'm s-sorry."

Matvei didn't say anything at first; he just sipped his tea gingerly. The male before him began to grow more and more terrified of him as the silence stretched longer. Matvei could feel him quiver in dread and crossed his legs as he set the now empty cup on the tray. He regarded him an incomprehensible air about him which only made him shiver more under the iciness of his gaze.

"I wanted to thank you all for your generosity but, I suppose they'll get theirs in time." he said with a gently smile. "Being the, for lack of a better word, man that I am," he chuckled in spite of himself before continuing, "I do not aspire to hoard debts that may try to hinder me later on." His majestic violet eyes met the fair-haired male's sapphire gaze as he continued. "So tell me. What do you desire as reimbursement?" he asked as he stood up to tower above them.

"You're a subordinate, no? Perhaps you long for peace of mind? Protection? A reason to better yourself?" He nearly taunted them with his words, giving them a very feline grin. The boy piped up then. "W-what are y-you, if I m-may ask?"

That question stopped him in his tracks and he said the first thing that came to mind. "I am Monjikal, better known as Matvei S. Tarasov. I am the guardian of the void and balance." he said as he let his beast-like features morph with his human face for a moment. His ears moved up higher and became pointed, his face morphed into that of a wolf, and his eyes became like that of a serpent. This brief and partial metamorphosis caused all the already troubled boy to recoil and let out shrill horrified screams.

And with that shriek, the odd aura, that made Matvei's fur stand up, seemed to get stronger and soon…

The sound of heavy footsteps approaching the door.


End file.
